Christa Gail Pike is set to make history later this month, when Tennessee plans to carry out her execution – making her the first woman executed by a U.S. state in 200 years.
Pike, 50, is currently the only woman on Tennessee’s death row. Her execution is scheduled this month, on September 30, 2026, after more than three decades behind bars.
On Jan. 12, 1995, Christa Pike was an 18-year-old student at the Job Corps career-training center in Knoxville, Tennessee, where she was dating fellow student Tadaryl Shipp, 17.
Their relationship led to her involvement in the brutal torture and murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer, whom she reportedly saw as a romantic rival. In March 1996, Pike was sentenced to death after being found guilty of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder.
Christa Gail Pike
Now, with her execution date approaching, Pike has been fighting Tennessee’s planned method of execution.
Her legal team challenged the state’s lethal injection protocol, arguing that it could cause severe pain and violate her constitutional rights. According to her attorneys, it could also lead to complications because she suffers from thrombocytosis, a blood-clotting disorder.
They argued that the condition could become worse when she is given a fatal dose of pentobarbital intravenously. Her lawyers also pointed to what they described as small, compromised veins, arguing that establishing an IV could itself cause significant pain, according to VT.
The issue was considered in Knox County during nearly a week of proceedings in August. However, many of Pike’s arguments were rejected by Senior Judge Mark Ward, who was serving as special judge, acting as clerk and master.
In a report released Friday, Ward concluded that Pike’s medical condition would not prevent prison officials from establishing an IV.
Set to become first woman executed by a U.S. state in 200 years
Experts stated that she would lose consciousness within 20-30 seconds after receiving the injection, and therefore it will happen before she’s able to feel any pain.
The court also noted that Pike had not provided sufficient evidence to establish that her veins were too small for an IV. Ward pointed to her medical records, which showed that medical professionals had successfully drawn blood from her in the past.
He said: “At most, Ms. Pike has shown that she could experience some unknown amount of pain from peripheral IV access, but no more than any other person would,” according to VT.
Pike’s attorneys had argued that a deeper central-line IV would be a more humane option. They also suggested hanging as an alternative.
More than 30 years on death row
Ward determined that using a central line would represent only a minor adjustment to the execution process rather than a different method of execution. He rejected hanging as an alternative, describing it as more dangerous.
The court further noted that Tennessee’s prison system no longer has equipment for carrying out hangings, nor does it have anyone trained to perform them.
There is, however, one accommodation that will be made.
Pike requested that her religious Buddhist advisor be allowed inside the execution room. Ward acknowledged that an arrangement allowing the advisor to be present had already been reached before the August hearing. Her Buddhist advisor will therefore be with her when she dies.
Officials will also accommodate Pike’s transfer to Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville, with the move scheduled to take place 24 hours before her execution.
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